The present invention relates to a device for securing a trolling line on a downrigger so that the triggering force from the troll direction is in a different direction than the force applied by the rod.
Today, trolling is a highly popular form of fishing. In the Finnish market, as well as other national markets, various downrigger and sideplanar designs are available. In most of the current designs, the trolling line is secured to a clamp, in which the clamp force is adjusted with a screw. The clamp is further attached either on the weight of the downrigger or to a wire. With the aid of the weight, the downrigger is permitted to drop down to a desired depth, whereby the troll and the troll line follow therealong. This enables the troll line to be dropped to a desired depth for catching fish swimming at that depth.
A particular problem in current designs of trolling devices is the manner for controlling the clamp force so that the triggering acts only when a fish strikes thereby releasing the line from the trolling device, and so that the line is not released from the clamp by drag forces. Particularly when trolling deep down, i.e., when the water depth is over 20 meters, the drag of the water generates a remarkable force against the part of the line between the rod and the clamp. This drag force is ideally eliminated by tensioning the clamp to the extent that the line and the troll remain at the desired depth. However, if a small fish bites the lure, it often happens that the line is not released and, instead, the trolling is continued as before. A tightly tensioned clamp may also damage the line.